And now, the top rank belonged to the Son of Buddha, who was currently challenging the seventy-fourth level, which was the element. Upon reaching the seventy-fourth level, the Son of Buddha's Buddha Heart Bright Mirror began to show signs of strain. Everyone was eagerly awaiting him to shatter the previous high record, but at this moment, a layer of crimson light enveloped the Son of Buddha’s entire body. This crimson light blazed brilliantly for a time, as if a phoenix were crying out within its core.

This was the Buddha Heart Nirvana.

Legend held that the phoenix would undergo fiery rebirth after death.

The creator of the Ancient Buddhist Civilization had devised a technique known as the Buddha Heart Nirvana Method, born from his contemplation of sentient beings whose hearts often lacked true tranquility.

Once this method was employed, a single fiery rebirth of the Buddha Heart would render it even more pure. However, it was rumored that mastering the Buddha Heart Nirvana Method was exceedingly difficult, and once achieved, one could only undergo the Nirvana nine times, with vast stretches of time separating each instance. No one had anticipated that the Son of Buddha had such a hidden trump card, that he had actually mastered the technique of Buddha Heart Fiery Rebirth.

It seemed the Son of Buddha was aiming directly for the record of eighty-four levels, otherwise, he wouldn't have resorted to the Buddha Heart Nirvana Method.

As the Son of Buddha executed the Buddha Heart Nirvana Method, his physical form grew increasingly faint, and the halo above his head dimmed, seemingly on the verge of being completely consumed by the Nirvana Fire. Then, in a single instant, the halo above his head appeared to expand dramatically, becoming purer and far more distinct.

The Son of Buddha then reactivated the Buddha Heart Bright Mirror technique. With his heart now stronger, the Mirror naturally followed suit.

As soon as he manifested the Buddha Heart Bright Mirror, he began to exert control over the element of this level.

The two leading figures remaining were Lu Yuan and the Son of Buddha.

Outside the Elemental Tower, over nine hundred participants had already been eliminated, leaving only a few dozen. These remaining few were mostly struggling between the thirtieth and fortieth levels, while the top two—naturally the Son of Buddha and Lu Yuan—continued to push ahead. The Son of Buddha was on level seventy-four, and Lu Yuan was on level fifty-eight.

"Can Lu Yuan possibly catch up to the Son of Buddha?"

"Can the Son of Buddha set a new record?"

Hearing the murmurs of the crowd, Ling Qingyun coughed up a mouthful of blood. He had never imagined Lu Yuan could be this formidable. Ling Qingyun knew Lu Yuan’s disposition well, understanding that the first person Lu Yuan would seek out upon exiting the Elemental Tower was himself. Consequently, Ling Qingyun dared not linger and bolted directly out of Elemental City.

Ling Qingyun was already making preparations; as soon as he was clear, he intended to strike Lu Yuan with a devastating scheme. He would not rest until Lu Yuan was dead. The root of this malice lay in a specific inheritance within the Confucian Civilization. He had always kept silent about this inheritance, yet he deeply suspected that the giants of the Confucian Civilization were leaning towards bestowing that Righteousness Inheritance upon Lu Yuan. Damn it! Lu Yuan was clearly not a member of the Confucian Civilization, so why were they intending to pass that supreme treasure of Righteousness Inheritance to him?

A thousand schemes spun through Ling Qingyun’s mind, yet his outward demeanor remained that of a refined, gentle, and scholarly gentleman—a mask he had worn since the age of ten and maintained until this very day.

Meanwhile, Lu Yuan, now on the fifty-ninth level, was beginning the process of mastering the element.

Sword Seven, 1 Small Sword Realm!

Lu Yuan swung his hand, unleashing the technique Sword Seven, 1 Small Sword Realm.

This time, he mastered the element in just fifty-four hours.

The sixtieth level held the element, which Lu Yuan mastered in fifty-five hours. Upon grasping the element, Lu Yuan felt the world around him had fundamentally transformed. It was drastically different from before; he vaguely sensed that he might be ready to attempt a breakthrough to the fourth stage of the World Realm, the Transmutation Stage.

Indeed, mastering sixty elements was the prerequisite for breaking through to the fourth stage of the World Realm, the Transmutation Stage.

However, breaking through now, even if successful in reaching the fourth heaven of the World Realm, would mean a shallow foundation. A deep foundation was paramount; without it, aspiring to the Civilization Realm was a pipe dream, and even reaching the Heavenly Venerate Realm would be arduous. Thus, Lu Yuan would never attempt a breakthrough to the fourth stage of the World Realm, the Transmutation Stage, at this juncture.

It was rumored that those truly aiming for the Civilization Realm didn't even rush the breakthrough at this stage, preferring to wait until all one hundred and twenty elements were mastered before attempting the fourth heaven of the World Realm. Undeniably, Lu Yuan intended to follow suit.

Of course, mastering sixty elements was not without its advantages. Lu Yuan felt a surge of power rising within his body—a power that emerged only after mastering these sixty elements. Yet, Lu Yuan clearly perceived that this force was not meant to alter the state or form of objects, but rather to undo such alterations.

To put it simply: previously, the War Beast Ancestor could easily transform Lu Yuan into a white crane.

But now, Lu Yuan could utilize his mastery over the elements, employing this new force to disrupt such transformations, enabling him to revert to his human form.

Lu Yuan let out a long sigh of relief. It had not been easy.

After learning about the ability of the fourth heaven of the World Realm, the Transmutation Stage, he had felt somewhat frustrated by it. For instance, in his previous battle with the War Beast Ancestor, the ancestor had simply ignored him, transforming him into a white crane first—making a fight impossible. Now, however, that anxiety was finally resolved; at least enemies could no longer arbitrarily change his form, allowing him to display his true strength.

This capability was, after all, quite useful.

After mastering the sixtieth element, Lu Yuan proceeded to the sixty-first level.

While Lu Yuan was challenging the next stage, the Son of Buddha was also pushing forward.

The Son of Buddha kept attacking the eighty-first level, which contained the element. He was now incredibly close to the highest record of eighty-four levels, just three stages away. The Son of Buddha was resolved to break the record this time. Among the Seven Sons of Fortune, he was considered the weakest, and he absolutely refused to swallow that slight. Now was the time to claim his glory.

This level consumed a significant amount of time, but finally, the Son of Buddha successfully mastered the element.

He reached the eighty-second level: the element. The Son of Buddha truly felt a sense of vindication now; just two more levels to match the highest record, and three more to set a new one. His Buddha Heart rippled with unease. After briefly calming the Buddha Heart Bright Mirror, he began his ascent, but for some inexplicable reason, he could not grasp the element this time. Was this his limit? Unacceptable! The Son of Buddha was utterly unwilling to concede. He was a man destined to set records! He repeatedly elevated the level of his Buddha Heart Bright Mirror, but still failed to master the element. This eighty-second level was proving incredibly difficult—damn it.

The Son of Buddha tried again and again, but to no avail.

At this point, his trump card, the Buddha Heart Nirvana, had already been used and could not be deployed again anytime soon. What was he to do? Time ticked by, and finally, when the hundred hours elapsed, the Son of Buddha felt a colossal force associated with the element expel him outwards. He had failed!

In truth, reaching the eighty-second level was an exceptional achievement. While it didn't surpass the previous high record, it was still remarkable. Though the Son of Buddha felt a degree of vexation as he was about to fail in the Elemental Tower, he wasn't overly depressed upon exiting. After all, the result was good, only two tiers shy of the record, and this score would certainly place him first. As the Son of Buddha emerged, numerous people flocked toward him, undoubtedly seeking to curry favor.

The Son of Buddha responded casually, eventually arriving next to the Eastern Extreme Immortal Elder and the Western Extreme Immortal Elder. "How many people are still inside the Elemental Tower?" "There are twenty-three remaining, but most are locked in a bitter struggle around the thirtieth and fortieth levels," the Eastern Extreme Immortal Elder reported.

The Son of Buddha inwardly smirked. These people were truly slow in their ascent. He didn't believe any of them could catch up to him; they were simply wasting time. He had reached the eighties, and they were still floundering around the forties—what prospects could they possibly have?

"However, there is still one person at the sixty-third level," the Western Extreme Immortal Elder noted, glancing at the Son of Buddha. "Lu Yuan."

What! Lu Yuan!

The Son of Buddha narrowed his eyes. Among all these contenders, Lu Yuan was the only one he truly regarded as a rival.

Lu Yuan reaching the sixty-third level now was extraordinary. While he wasn't moving as quickly as the Son of Buddha had, it was still impressive. Of course, the Son of Buddha wasn't overly concerned that Lu Yuan would advance too far; he believed that reaching level sixty-three meant Lu Yuan couldn't possibly overtake him.

The Son of Buddha uttered a soft prayer, sat cross-legged upon his lotus throne, and settled in to watch the show.

As time progressed, the remaining twenty-plus participants were eliminated one by one. Everyone understood that the current pinnacle achievement was the Son of Buddha's eighty-second level—a seemingly insurmountable feat. Gradually, people realized that only one person was still attempting to advance: Lu Yuan.

Yes, it was Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan continued to press onward.

The sixty-third level, the element, took him sixty hours to master. However, the speed of Lu Yuan’s mastery made the Son of Buddha inwardly startle. When the Son of Buddha himself challenged this level, it took him a full sixty-five hours. Since he possessed the Buddha Heart Bright Mirror, the Son of Buddha remembered clearly: Lu Yuan mastering the element on the sixty-third level was faster than he had been. Could Lu Yuan’s overall pace be quicker than his own? If so, perhaps he could clear more levels than him? No, this must be a fluke, the Son of Buddha rationalized inwardly, since Lu Yuan was still significantly behind him overall.

But when Lu Yuan mastered the element on the sixty-fourth level in only sixty-two hours, the Son of Buddha finally understood: Lu Yuan’s earlier time of just over sixty hours was not an accident. This meant Lu Yuan genuinely posed a threat to his position. The Son of Buddha’s heart grew tense; he realized that his first place might not be as secure as he had imagined.